Fork for hay-tedders



qh R n MD HT n P Rm .P AK R 0 A d 0 M 0 w No. 477,820. Patented June 28, 1892.

UNITED l STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT PIXLEY, OF VINELAND, NEW JERSEY.

FORK FOR HAY-TEDDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 77,820, dated June 28, 1892.

' Application filed March 23, 1892. Serial No. 426,056- (in model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT B. PIXLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State flexible tedder-fork of great simplicity of construction, in which the liability of breakage of the spring giving flexibility to the fork will be overcome, thereby materially increasing thedurability of the device without lessening the flexibility thereof. This object is accomplished by the construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fiexible tedder-fork and the arm for attaching the same to the tedder. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal Section of the same with the fork in its normal position, and Fig. 3 isa similar view showing the position of the parts when the prongs of the fork strike an obstruction.

Adesignates the arm to which the operating parts of my forks are secured, said arm being adapted to be secured at its end a (which for convenience I will designate the rear end) to a hay-tedder in any approved manner. The forward portion of this arm A is formed with a longitudinal slot 13, preferably having an inclined forward wall a, and its under side adjacent to said forward end is formed with a recess 1).

O O designate the prongs of the fork, said prongs being pivoted to the sides of the arm A, adjacent to the forward extremity thereof, by means of a bolt, rod, or other suitable device D, and their rear ends connected by a rod E, which is received by the recesses 12 in said arm. In the normal position of the prongs the upper sides of the rear ends thereof will be against stops 0 G, projecting outward from when they have passed said obstruction.

the sides of the arm A, and the connecting rod E will be located in the upper extremities of the recesses 19.

F designates the spring which gives flexibility to said prongs. One end of said spring is secured to a bolt or rod e, which passes transversely through the arm A and is located near the end thereof, and said spring extends thence upward and rearward a suitable distance, and is then bent downwardin acurved line beneath and in contact with the under side of the rod E, and thence up a short distance to and around the bolt D.

From the above it will be seen that the prongs will be held flexibly but firmly in their normal position by the spring F, and that when they strike the ground or an obstruction they Will yield to and ride over the same, turning upon the pivot-bolt D, and are returned to their normal position by said spring It will be further seen that by locating the spring within a slot in the arm, with its end secured to transverse rods or bolts, and by pivoting the forks near their ends to the sides of the bar'A and locating their rear connecting-rod in contact with the under portion of said spring adjacent to an extremity thereof said spring will act to hold the prongs more firmly to their work, and at the same time-will be protected from the injury and wear to which it is subjected when it projects beyond the end of the arm and is required to support said prongs.

, Although I have described the parts D and E as being rods or bolts, it is obvious that they may be made integral with the prongs of the forks.

Having now described my invention, what I believe to be new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fork for hay-tedders, consisting of an arm having a slot near one end, the prongs pivoted near their rear ends to the sides of the arm near said end thereof, a rod secured to or formed integral with the rear ends of said prongs and connecting the same, anda curved spring located within said slot in the arm and having its ends secured to transverse rods, said spring engaging near one end the under side of the rod connecting said prongs, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. The herein-described fork for hay-tedrod E and having its respective ends secured ders, consisting of an arm having a slot near to a transverse rod located in the forward end one end and recesses in its under side, the of said arm and the rod D, and stops for said p ngs, a rod E, secured to or formed inteforks, all combined and operating substan- I 5 5 gral wlth the rear ends of said prongs and tially as described.

connectlng the same, said rod being normally In testimony whereof I affix my signatn re in located Within said recesses, a transverse rod presence of two witnesses. D, secured to or formed integral with said ALBERT B. PIXLEY. prongs and serving as apivottherefogaeurved WVitnesses: 1o sprlng located within said slot engaging near HARRY O. POND,

its under forward end the under side of said I WM. MARGEVY, J1. 

